Email conversation management system

Abstract

A process searches electronic messages. The process displays a user interface for an electronic messaging application, including a label list panel comprising labels and an electronic message list panel comprising listed objects associated with a user of the electronic messaging application. Each respective object is visually distinct and represents one or more corresponding electronic messages received by the user. The user selects a first label from the label list panel and a first electronic message from the electronic message list panel. The user associates the first electronic message with the first label. The process receives a search query for electronic messages associated with the first label. In response, the process identifies electronic messages associated with the first label. The identified electronic messages include the first electronic message. The process then updates the listed objects displayed in the electronic message list panel, displaying only objects corresponding to the identified electronic messages.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of searching electronic messages in an electronic messaging application, comprising:
 at a computing device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors:
 displaying a user interface for an electronic messaging application, 
 wherein the user interface includes (i) a label list panel comprising one or more existing labels, (ii) an “add labels” pull-down list from which a label is selected from a list of pre-defined labels, and (iii) an electronic message list panel comprising a plurality of listed objects associated with a user of the electronic messaging application from which at least one of the listed objects is selected to be associated with the selected label, and 
 wherein each respective object of the plurality of listed objects is visually distinct and represents one or more corresponding electronic messages of a plurality of electronic messages received by the user; 
 receiving user selection of a first selected label from the “add labels” pull-down list and a first electronic message from the electronic message list panel; 
 associating the first electronic message with the first selected label; 
 adding the first selected label to the label list panel; 
 receiving a search query for electronic messages associated with the first selected label; 
 processing a message being composed by the user; 
 responsive to the receiving the search query and the processing the message being composed by the user:
 identifying electronic messages associated with the first selected label, wherein the identified electronic messages include the first electronic message; 
 updating the plurality of listed objects; and displaying only those respective objects that correspond to the identified electronic messages. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first electronic message is an email message. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to associating the first electronic message with the first selected label, updating the plurality of listed objects displayed in the user interface and displaying the first selected label within an object corresponding to the first electronic message. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the associating the first electronic message with the first selected label includes adding one or more entries to an index for identifying electronic messages associated with the first selected label in a search query. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the associating the first electronic message with the first selected label includes adding one or more entries to an electronic message database. 
     
     
       6. A computing device, comprising:
 one or more processors; 
 memory; and 
 one or more programs stored in the memory configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
 displaying a user interface for an electronic messaging application, 
 wherein the user interface includes (i) a label list panel comprising one or more existing labels, (ii) an “add labels” pull-down list from which a label is selected from a list of pre-defined labels, and (iii) an electronic message list panel comprising a plurality of listed objects associated with a user of the electronic messaging application from which at least one of the listed objects is selected to be associated with the selected label, and 
 wherein each respective object of the plurality of listed objects is visually distinct and represents one or more corresponding electronic messages of a plurality of electronic messages received by the user; 
 receiving user selection of a first selected label from the “add labels” pull-down list and a first electronic message from the electronic message list panel; 
 associating the first electronic message with the first label; 
 adding the first selected label to the label list panel; 
 receiving a search query for electronic messages associated with the first selected label; 
 responsive to the receiving the search query:
 identifying electronic messages associated with the first selected label, wherein the identified electronic messages include the first electronic message; 
 determining whether the identified electronic message associated with the first selected label are part of a same conversation as the first electronic message; 
 updating the plurality of listed objects; and 
 displaying only those respective objects that correspond to the identified electronic messages that are part of the same conversation as the first electronic message. 
 
 
 
     
     
       7. The computer device of  claim 6 , wherein the first electronic message is an email message. 
     
     
       8. The computer device of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 in response to the associating the first electronic message with the first selected label, updating the plurality of listed objects displayed in the user interface and displaying the first selected label within an object corresponding to the first electronic message. 
 
     
     
       9. The computer device of  claim 6 , wherein the associating the first electronic message with the first selected label includes adding one or more entries to an index for identifying electronic messages associated with the first selected label in a search query. 
     
     
       10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computing device having one or more processors and a memory, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
 displaying a user interface for an electronic messaging application, 
 wherein the user interface includes (i) a label list panel comprising one or more existing labels, (ii) an “add labels” pull-down list from which a label is selected from a list of pre-defined labels, and (iii) an electronic message list panel comprising a plurality of listed objects associated with a user of the electronic messaging application from which at least one of the listed objects is selected to be associated with the selected label, and 
 wherein each respective object of the plurality of listed objects is visually distinct and represents one or more corresponding electronic messages of a plurality of electronic messages received by the user; 
 receiving user selection of a first selected label from the “add labels” pull-down list and a first electronic message from the electronic message list panel; 
 associating the first electronic message with the first selected label; 
 adding the first selected label to the label list panel; 
 receiving a search query for electronic messages associated with the first selected label; 
 extracting information in an account of the user associated; 
 responsive to the receiving the search query and the extracting the information in the account of the user:
 identifying electronic messages associated with the first selected label, wherein the identified electronic messages include the first electronic message; 
 updating the plurality of listed objects; and 
 displaying only those respective objects that correspond to the identified electronic messages. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the first electronic message is an email message. 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 in response to the associating the first electronic message with the first label, updating the plurality of listed objects displayed in the user interface and displaying the first label within an object corresponding to the first electronic message. 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the associating the first electronic message with the first label includes adding one or more entries to an electronic message database.